Diving into a new girl’s volleyball season, the spotlight shines brightly on the core senior class of this team as their final season is underway. This group features five athletes who have been a part of the Meridian volleyball program for years, contributing experience and leadership.
For a team consisting mainly of first-year students, these seniors’ role on and off the court significantly impacts all facets. Sophomore setter Alaysia Despertt views the seniors as “role models and leaders” on the court. However, she also emphasizes that off the court, “I have a solid relationship with them; I view them as bigger sisters I can just talk to.”
This season will be the last opportunity for many seniors to play volleyball before college, marking a bittersweet moment for many. To reflect on their journey and take a closer look into the athletes who play such a pivotal role, there will be a short excerpt from each student-athlete.
Lauren Ramert
The first senior who will be spotlighted is Lauren Ramert, a student at Meridian for six years and hopes to attend the University of Texas at Austin while majoring in communications. She doesn’t plan on continuing volleyball in college but looks forward to moving on and meeting new people in a college setting while potentially playing intramurally. She has been on the varsity team for two years, and her favorite memory is having a media day with her team and getting dressed. In the end, when reflecting on Meridian volleyball, she values all her relationships and their importance to her off the court.
Anya Rose
Anya Rose has been on the varsity team for two years, and her favorite volleyball moment was last season when Abbey Chao got hit in the head, and the team all fell to the ground. She hopes to continue playing volleyball while pursuing a career in the theater industry. She doesn’t know the college she plans to attend but hopes to go somewhere in California. The biggest challenge she has faced while being on the team is adjusting to the pace of varsity. She hopes to improve her skills this season and gain more confidence. Outside of volleyball, she enjoys dancing, singing, and theatre but still hopes to pursue volleyball after high school.
Emily Anderson
Emily’s high school journey has been shaped by her love for volleyball and leadership growth. Initially drawn to the sport for its fun, encouraging environment, she became deeply involved, playing for eight years, including club volleyball. The competitiveness and time commitment of volleyball became something she could take pride in, especially as she stepped up as captain this year, leading her team with quiet determination and effort every time they touched the ball. One of her standout moments was last year’s fall homecoming game, where the big turnout and energy made it unforgettable. Outside of volleyball, Emily enjoys spending time with friends. She is looking forward to studying pharmacy at UT Austin, a field she’s excited about because of its challenges and financial rewards.
Emrie Molina Sindrey
Emrie Sindrey has been a part of the varsity volleyball team for all four years of high school. After playing club volleyball for most of her life, she recently shifted her focus to coaching at Texas Fury, where she enjoys teaching the game she loves. Emrie has been at Meridian for ten years, and one of her favorite aspects of Meridian Volleyball is playing with her best friends, which has made her enjoy the sport even more. Despite the challenge of rebuilding each year due to a smaller pool of players, Emrie has gained valuable skills in teamwork and collaboration. One of her favorite memories is winning first place at last year’s Labor Day Classic, a highlight of her volleyball experience. As co-captain, Emrie aims to help the team improve and finish strong in her final season. Outside of volleyball, she loves spending time with friends, whether it’s going out to eat or simply hanging out. She hopes to attend UT Austin to pursue a healthcare career, with a particular focus on working with children.
Avery Salazar
Avery Salazar has been on the varsity team for three years while also serving as team captain for the varsity basketball team. Her favorite moment of her volleyball career at Meridian has been winning the Labor Day Classic and going to state twice. For this upcoming season, she wants to focus on being a leader and bringing good energy to the team. Outside of school, she spends much time being crafty and working on small projects. After high school, she wants to step away from athletics and study criminology in Texas.
Giana Castro
Giana Castro has been in the volleyball program for four years, but this is her first year on the varsity team. She has been at the school since kindergarten, and her goals this season are to focus on jump serving consistently and honing her skills. Her favorite memory in the volleyball program was going to regionals last year. In college, she hopes to play intramurally while attending UNT or Baylor.
These seniors finish up their high school volleyball career this season so, go out and support them during home games with free admission for staff and 3 dollars for students, Go Lions!